Technology has helped baseball athletes. In the early days of baseball, the rubber-centered ball made it more of a "pitcher's game" because the mass of the ball made the ball's kinetic energy after it was hit was lower than the newer cork-centered balls. The new cork-centered balls are a "livelier" ball because they travel farther when hit. Therefore, the ball has more potential energy. Cork compresses than more than hard rubber. This is because it is more elastic, and therefore it has a greater elastic potential energy. When it is hit by the bat, the elastic potential energy decreases and the kinetic energy increases, sending the ball farther than the old style ball.